Locate Tennessee Real Estate Lawyers

In Tennessee, real estate law is a very broad area of law covering anything that has to do with the ownership of land and buildings.

Real estate law can apply to many different facets of a personal and professional life. It can apply to anything from the purchase of a vacant lot, to renting prime downtown office space.

Tennessee real estate law can be very complex, because it's really a collection of a lot of different areas of law. These areas of law include property rights, contracts, land use, and many others.

Having a good basic knowledge of Tennessee real estate law can make a lot of transactions, such as buying a house or renting an apartment, much easier.

Common Real Estate Issues in Tennessee

Financing: Most people in Tennessee probably can't afford to buy a house or a piece of land up front. Therefore, most individuals and business use some form of financing to purchase real estate, usually a mortgage. A mortgage is a loan used to buy a piece of real estate, with the purchased real estate simultaneously securing the loan.

Disclosure: When a house or other structure is for sale, the seller has to tell prospective buyers about all physical defects of which the seller is aware, and which the buyer couldn't be reasonably expected to discover. However, if you are selling a house, you should probably just disclose every defect you're aware of. This will save you a great deal of potential liability. Even if your disclosure of a particular defect wasn't required (because the buyer could have easily discovered it), the buyer might still sue, and the cost of defending this lawsuit, even if you win, will be very high.

Warranty of Habitability: All residential property which is being rented must be fit for human habitation. This is usually not a difficult standard for a reasonably well-maintained unit to meet (or one would think), but violations of this rule still occur. When renting an apartment, the landlord is implicitly promising that the unit will be habitable, whether or not such a promise is actually written in the lease, or even if the lease disclaims it. There are many requirements for a dwelling to be habitable, and most of them are fairly obvious- they include heating, running water, electricity, and basic protection from the elements. There are many other requirements, however.

Zoning Laws: Zoning laws regulate what type of structures can be built in given parts of a town or city. Their general purpose is to ensure that a city is as livable as possible by ensuring that residential areas are not too close to the noise and pollution of industrial areas. It is very important that, before you make any improvements to a piece of property, you make sure that the proposed improvements comply with Tennessee's zoning regulations.

Do I Need a Tennessee Real Estate Lawyer?

These issues can be fairly intricate, and the above discussion can't replace the advice of an expert on the subject. Therefore, if you have any real estate issues, it's never a bad idea to make an appointment with a real estate attorney in Tennessee.

Interesting Facts About Tennessee

Tennessee is part of the Southeastern region of the United States. It is one of the nation's major producers in areas like agriculture, electrical equipment, and transport equipment. Tennessee is also popular for its history of musical acts originating from the state, with Nashville being considered by many to be the center of recorded country music. Much of Tennessee's law is devoted towards regulation of these important industries.

The Tennessee Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort. Unlike other state supreme courts, the Tennessee Supreme Court meets in several locations (Knoxville, Jackson, and Nashville). In addition, the Tennessee Supreme Court has met in many other cities in connection with legal education projects for high schools. Tennessee's Supreme Court is the only one in the nation that appoints the state's Attorney General; in all other states, the appointment is made by election or by the state governor.

Many Tennessee laws and court cases have influenced national legal trends. For example, Baker v. Carr (1962) is a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case originating in Tennessee. The Baker decision established the doctrine of "one man, one vote". This doctrine helped to balance voting and election standards, especially for communities that may be underrepresented in elections.

Lawyers in Tennessee can help interpret the state's laws and regulations. Tennessee lawyers provide assistance with various legal issues and concerns. An attorney in Tennessee can also provide representation in court during trial.